


Mrs. Robinson

by foreveroptimist



Category: Neighbours. Paul and Terese
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:42:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24613981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foreveroptimist/pseuds/foreveroptimist
Relationships: Paul Robinson/Terese Willis
Comments: 11
Kudos: 8





	Mrs. Robinson

-"You`re staring at me."  
Terese smiled. Not quite sure if he was stating the obvious or asking a question.  
-"How did you know?" she asked? "Do you have eyes in the neck or something?"  
Paul closed the compendium that had once belonged to his father and turned around. His smile didn`t quite reach his eyes like it normally did when he looked at her.   
-"So…are you going to tell me why you keep staring at me?" Paul walked over to her, put his finger gently under her chin and lifted her lips to his before kissing her.

-"I don`t know. I just feel like something is bothering you. Like something has been missing in our relationship lately."  
-"Like my leg?" Paul laughed, and this time the smile almost reached his eyes.   
-" Oh, ha-ha! Very funny. You`re quite the comedian, aren`t you?"   
Paul grabbed her white cape from the chair behind her and wrapped it around her shoulders, before he planted a kiss right under her ear. His spot.  
-"You smell good!" he whispered, and Terese turned around to face him.  
-"Seriously though." She said. "What`s bothering you?"

Paul sighed. 

-"Its silly, really. Nothing for you to worry about. I`m just missing everyone. Amy and Leo. Jimmy. Elle and Andrew."  
-"Yeah, I know, but David and Harlow are here!" Terese said.

Paul looked to the floor.

-"Yes, but they are keeping me at an arm's length still… Conversations are few, and whenever I approach them they can`t seem to get away from me fast enough."  
Terese looked at her husband. She saw the pain in his eyes. She knew how much he loved his family, and that he always had their best interest at heart, even if he, in his actions to prove so, often overstepped some boundaries.   
-"They love you Paul! Never doubt that!" she said.  
-"I know! But they`re still embarrassed to be related to me! It`s my own fault, really. Don`t worry about it. It will be fine. I will be fine!"

Therese saw how Paul struggled, how vulnerable he was when he shared his inner thoughts with her like this, how hard that was for him. And then, just like that, he just brushed it off. He took a deep breath, held her hand, smiled at her and said:   
-"Anyway, that is no excuse for me to neglect my beautiful wife. Not even for a second! And I promise to make it up to you. I don`t want you to ever feel like something is missing from our relationship again. Well, expect my leg…not much I can do about that!" He laughed, but again, his smile didn`t quite reach his eyes.

Terese texted him later that morning, saying she wouldn`t be able to have lunch with him, as something urgent had come up. Paul decided to work through lunch, then leave early to go shopping for groceries. Later that afternoon he sent Harlow and Roxy to the movies and gave Ned money to take Yashvi out to dinner. He wanted some time alone with Terese, wanted to spoil her, just for a little while. 

He greeted her with a kiss as soon as she walked through the door.   
-"Hello my darling! I`ve missed you!"  
Terese laughed. –"You saw me this morning!"  
-"Yes, but you called off lunch with me, and I haven`t seen you all afternoon. So…I missed you! Anyway, any amount of time away from my queen is too long!"

Terese took a few steps towards the kitchen, but Paul stopped her.   
-" I drew you a bath!" he said. – "Now, march yourself upstairs, have a nice warm bath, and when you are done, I`ll have dinner ready for you!"  
-"You`re cooking dinner?"  
-"Yes! Stir fry!" 

Paul looked so proud of himself that Terese almost found it comical. 

-"Really? Stir fry?"

They both giggled, knowing very well that had been their signature dish ever since that first time she made him dinner all those years ago.   
"Yes. Really!" he said. "Now, go upstairs, relax, and leave me alone to do some magic in this kitchen!"

Terese kicked her shoes off, kissed his cheek, used her thump to remove the lipstick stain on his skin and walked upstairs. She noticed how his smile seemed a little brighter than this morning, and even though she still felt that the spark was missing in his eyes, he did seem genuinely happier.

40 minutes later she could hear Paul setting the table as the amazing smell from the kitchen reached her at the bottom of the stairs. She walked over to the kitchen island and Paul leaned over towards her. 

-"Relaxed?" he asked.   
-"Would have been more relaxing if you had joined me!"  
-"Mmm… baths aren`t really your thing, I know. Keeping busy, that`s how you relax!"

Terese smiled.

–" This feels oddly familiar. I feel like we`ve had this conversation before!"  
-"Right…so I guess you know what comes next then?"

There it was. That cheeky smile. The one that always made her heart skip a beat. And this time, it almost reaches his eyes.  
-"Yeah. Our first kiss! That`s what comes next!"  
-" So you do remember?" Paul looked at his wife as his mind wandered back to their very first kiss. Right here, in this very same spot in this kitchen, in this house that was now their home. Their home.

-"Well then my queen, you know what to do!" He leaned in for a kiss, but Terese took a step back.  
-"Wait, I`ve got something for you first!" she said and handed him a piece of paper.  
He looked at her, tried to figure out what was going on.  
-"What is it?" he asked.  
-"Just read it!" 

Paul started reading. Some sort of legal document. The first few sentences didn`t make sense.  
-"Go on. Keep reading. Read the bottom lines!"

Terese seemed excited, eager for him to figure it all out.  
So Paul kept reading.

…legally changed… Terese Willis…Terese Robinson.  
Terese Robinson…  
_"Terese Robinson?"

Paul looked at her.

-"You changed your name?"

Terese reached for his hand.  
-"I changed my name! It was time!"  
-"But you said…?"  
-" So? A girl can change her mind, can`t she? I love you Paul! More than anything."  
She could see Paul tearing up and she could feel his hands shaking in hers. She lifted his hands to her lips and kissed his fingers gently. Just like he so often did with her.  
-"I love you, your flaws and your strengths. I love how much you care for your family. Our family. Even if they don`t always see it. I love the way you love me, and nothing, absolutely nothing will make me prouder than to have your name. I want the whole world to know we belong together!"

Only once before had she seen Paul speechless. That night, after their first kiss. And here he was again, hardly able to gather his thoughts long enough to come up with something to say. Again she saw her husband letting his guard down, daring to be vulnerable, only for her.

-"So…everything smells wonderful! Ready to eat?" Terese took a step back, giving Paul a chance to regain control of his feelings, but he took a deep breath, walked over to her, and once again gently put his fingers under her chin to lift her lips to his.

-"No! First I want to kiss you. Mrs. Robinson!"

Her heart exploded when their lips met and when her eyes met his. She could feel the smile on the lips she kissed, and this time, the smile reached his eyes!


End file.
